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Micron (Oxford, England : 1993) Jun 2024The rich potential of two-dimensional materials endows them with superior properties suitable for a wide range of applications, thereby attracting substantial interest...
The rich potential of two-dimensional materials endows them with superior properties suitable for a wide range of applications, thereby attracting substantial interest across various fields. The ongoing trend towards device miniaturization aligns with the development of materials at progressively smaller scales, aiming to achieve higher integration density in electronics. In the realm of nano-scaling ferroelectric phenomena, numerous new two-dimensional ferroelectric materials have been predicted theoretically and subsequently validated through experimental confirmation. However, the capabilities of conventional tools, such as electrical measurements, are limited in providing a comprehensive investigation into the intrinsic origins of ferroelectricity and its interactions with structural factors. These factors include stacking, doping, functionalization, and defects. Consequently, the progress of potential applications, such as high-density memory devices, energy conversion systems, sensing technologies, catalysis, and more, is impeded. In this paper, we present a review of recent research that employs advanced transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques for the direct visualization and analysis of ferroelectric domains, domain walls, and other crucial features at the atomic level within two-dimensional materials. We discuss the essential interplay between structural characteristics and ferroelectric properties on the nanoscale, which facilitates understanding of the complex relationships governing their behavior. By doing so, we aim to pave the way for future innovative applications in this field.
PubMed: 38941681
DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2024.103678 -
Water Research Jun 2024Anthropogenic stressors such as urban development, agricultural runoff, and riparian zone degradation impair stream water quality and biodiversity. However, the...
Anthropogenic stressors such as urban development, agricultural runoff, and riparian zone degradation impair stream water quality and biodiversity. However, the intricate pathways that connect these stressors at watershed and riparian scales to stream ecosystems-and their interplay with climate and hydrology-remain understudied. In this study, we used Partial Least Squares (PLS) path modeling to examine these pathways and their collective impacts on stream water quality and fish community structures across 233 watersheds in the Great Lakes region. Our study suggests that moderate levels of watershed development enhance overall fish richness, potentially due to increased water temperature and nutrient availability, but reduces both the percentages and richness of cold water and intolerant taxa. Riparian quality exerts indirect effects on water quality with climate and stream order serving as key mediators. Complementing our SEM analysis, we also used Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) models and identified a significant positive relationship between the proportion of clay and agricultural land with TN concentrations. However, TP concentrations are influenced by a more complex set of interactions involving developed areas, soil, and slope. These findings emphasize the necessity of adopting integrated management strategies to preserve the health and integrity of freshwater ecosystems in the Great Lakes region. These strategies should integrate watershed and riparian protection measures while also taking into account the effects of climate change and specific local conditions.
PubMed: 38941680
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121964 -
Water Research Jun 2024Metals in the drinking water distribution system (DWDS) play an important role on the fate of disinfection by-products (DBPs). They can increase the formation of DBPs... (Review)
Review
Metals in the drinking water distribution system (DWDS) play an important role on the fate of disinfection by-products (DBPs). They can increase the formation of DBPs through several mechanisms, such as enhancing the proportion of reactive halogen species (RHS), catalysing the reaction between natural organic matter (NOM) and RHS through complexation, or by increasing the conversion of NOM into DBP precursors. This review comprehensively summarizes these complex processes, focusing on the most important metals (copper, iron, manganese) in DWDS and their impact on various DBPs. It organizes the dispersed 'metals-DBPs' experimental results into an easily accessible content structure and presents their underlying common or unique mechanisms. Furthermore, the practically valuable application directions of these research findings were analysed, including the toxicity changes of DBPs in DWDS under the influence of metals and the potential enhancement of generalization in DBP model research by the introduction of metals. Overall, this review revealed that the metal environment within DWDS is a crucial factor influencing DBP levels in tap water.
PubMed: 38941679
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121991 -
Water Research Jun 2024The biological carbon pump in karst areas is of great significance for maintaining the effectiveness of karst carbon sinks. However, the spatial distribution and...
The biological carbon pump in karst areas is of great significance for maintaining the effectiveness of karst carbon sinks. However, the spatial distribution and carbon-fixing potential of microorganisms in different aquifers within karst areas remain poorly understood. In this study, the distribution patterns, ecological roles, and environmental drivers of microbiota associated with CO fixation were investigated in karst groundwater (KW), porous groundwater (PW), fractured groundwater (FW), and surface water (SW) within a typical karst watershed, located in Guilin, southwest China. KW, PW, and FW displayed the similar community structure and indicative carbon-fixing bacteria composition, which were dominated by chemoautotrophic bacteria compared to SW. Higher abundances of indicative carbon-fixing bacteria and carbon-fixing genes, as well as richer proportions of microbial-derived DOC, indicated the more significant microbial carbon-fixing potential in KW and PW. At the profile of KW, a carbon-fixing hotspot was discovered at the depths of 0-50 m. Correlation analysis between carbon-fixing bacteria and DOC revealed that the chemoautotrophic process driven by nitrogen and sulfur oxidation predominated the microbial carbon fixation in groundwater. Co-occurrence network analysis demonstrated that carbon-fixing bacteria exhibited cooperation with other bacterial taxa in KW, while competition was the dominant interaction in PW. Moreover, carbon-fixing bacteria was found to lead bacterial assembly more deterministic in KW. The analysis of environmental factors and microbial diversity illustrated that inorganic carbon and redox state drove community variations across groundwaters. Structural equation model (SEM) further confirmed that ORP was the primary factor influencing the carbon fixation potential. This study provides a new insight into biological carbon fixation in karst aquatic systems, which holds significance in the accurate assessment of karst carbon sinks.
PubMed: 38941678
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121979 -
Water Research Jun 2024Against the backdrop of severe leakage issue in water distribution systems (WDSs), numerous researchers have focused on the development of deep learning-based acoustic...
Against the backdrop of severe leakage issue in water distribution systems (WDSs), numerous researchers have focused on the development of deep learning-based acoustic leak detection technologies. However, these studies often prioritize model development while neglecting the importance of data. This research explores the impact of data augmentation techniques on enhancing deep learning-based acoustic leak detection methods. Five random transformation-based methods-jittering, scaling, warping, iterated amplitude adjusted Fourier transform (IAAFT), and masking-are proposed. Jittering, scaling, warping, and IAAFT directly process original signals, while masking operating on time-frequency spectrograms. Acoustic signals from a real-world WDS are augmented, and the efficacy is validated using convolutional neural network classifiers to identify the spectrograms of acoustic signals. Results indicate the importance of implementing data augmentation before data splitting to prevent data leakage and overly optimistic outcomes. Among the techniques, IAAFT stands out, significantly increasing data volume and diversity, improving recognition accuracy by over 7%. Masking enhances performance mainly by compelling the classifier to learn global features of the spectrograms. Sequential application of IAAFT and masking further strengthens leak detection performance. Furthermore, when applying a complex model to acoustic leakage detection through transfer learning, data augmentation can also enhance the effectiveness of transfer learning. These findings advance artificial intelligence-driven acoustic leak detection technology from a data-centric perspective towards more mature applications.
PubMed: 38941677
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121999 -
International Immunopharmacology Jun 2024T cells suffer from long-term antigen stimulation and insufficient energy supply, leading to a decline in their effector functions, memory capabilities, and... (Review)
Review
T cells suffer from long-term antigen stimulation and insufficient energy supply, leading to a decline in their effector functions, memory capabilities, and proliferative capacity, ultimately resulting in T cell exhaustion and an inability to perform normal immune functions in the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, exploring how to restore these exhausted T cells to a state with effector functions is of great significance. Exhausted T cells exhibit a spectrum of molecular alterations, such as heightened expression of inhibitory receptors, shifts in transcription factor profiles, and modifications across epigenetic, metabolic, and transcriptional landscapes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of various strategies to reverse T cell exhaustion, including immune checkpoint blockade, and explores the potential synergistic effects of combining multiple approaches to reverse T cell exhaustion. It offers new insights and methods for achieving more durable and effective reversal of T cell exhaustion.
PubMed: 38941674
DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112571 -
International Immunopharmacology Jun 2024Psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune skin disorder, causes rapid and excessive skin cell growth due to immune system dysfunction. Numerous studies have shown that flavonoids... (Review)
Review
Flavonoid compounds and their synergistic effects: Promising approaches for the prevention and treatment of psoriasis with emphasis on keratinocytes - A systematic and mechanistic review.
Psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune skin disorder, causes rapid and excessive skin cell growth due to immune system dysfunction. Numerous studies have shown that flavonoids have anti-psoriatic effects by modulating various molecular mechanisms involved in inflammation, cytokine production, keratinocyte proliferation, and more. This study reviewed experimental data reported in scientific literature and used network analysis to identify the potential biological roles of flavonoids' targets in treating psoriasis. 947 records from Web of Sciences, ScienceDirect database, Scopus, PubMed, and Cochrane library were reviewed without limitations until June 26, 2023. 66 articles were included in the systematic review. The ten genes with the highest scores, including interleukin (IL)-10, IL-12A, IL-1β, IL-6, Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), Janus kinase 2 (JAK 2), Jun N-terminal kinase (JUN), Proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src (SRC), Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA), and Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), were identified as the hub genes. KEGG pathway analysis identified connections related to inflammation and autoimmune responses, which are key characteristics of psoriasis. IL-6, STAT3, and JUN's presence in both hub and enrichment genes suggests their important role in flavonoid's effect on psoriasis. This comprehensive study highlights how flavonoids can target biological processes in psoriasis, especially when combined for enhanced effectiveness.
PubMed: 38941673
DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112561 -
International Immunopharmacology Jun 2024Sepsis is considered a high risk factor for new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF), with neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) being implicated in the pathogenesis of...
BACKGROUND
Sepsis is considered a high risk factor for new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF), with neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) being implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases. However, the precise role of NETs and NETs-related genes (NRGs) in the occurrence of NOAF in sepsis remains inadequately elucidated. The objective of this study was to identify hub NRGs connecting sepsis and AF, and to investigate the potential association between NETs and NOAF in sepsis.
METHODS
The AF and sepsis microarray datasets were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database for analysis of shared pathophysiological mechanisms and NRGs implicated in both sepsis and AF using bioinformatics techniques. The CIBERSORT algorithm was employed to assess immune cell infiltration and identify common immune characteristics in these diseases. Additionally, a rat model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis was utilized to investigate the association between NETs, NRGs, and sepsis-induced AF. Western blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, hematoxylin-eosin staining, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence were employed to assess the expression of NRGs, the formation of NETs, and the infiltration of neutrophils. Electrophysiological analysis and multi-electrode array techniques were utilized to examine the vulnerability and conduction heterogeneity of AF in septic rats. Furthermore, intervention was conducted in LPS-induced sepsis rats using DNase I, a pharmacological agent that specifically targets NETs, in order to assess its impact on neutrophil infiltration, NETs formation, hub NRGs protein expression, and AF vulnerability.
RESULTS
A total of 61 commonly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and four hub DE-NRGs were identified in the context of sepsis and AF. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these DEGs were predominantly associated with processes related to inflammation and immunity. Immune infiltration analysis further demonstrated the presence of immune infiltrating cells, specifically neutrophil infiltration, in both sepsis and AF. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between the relative expression of the four hub DE-NRGs and neutrophil infiltration. In rats with LPS-induced sepsis, we observed a notable upregulation in the expression of four DE-NRGs, the formation of NETs, and infiltration of neutrophils in atrial tissue. Through electrophysiological assessments, we identified heightened vulnerability to AF, reduced atrial surface conduction velocity, and increased conduction heterogeneity in LPS-induced sepsis rats. Notably, these detrimental effects can be partially ameliorated by treatment with DNase I.
CONCLUSIONS
Through bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation, we identified four hub NRGs in sepsis and AF. Subsequent experiments indicated that the formation of NETs in the atria may contribute to the pathogenesis of NOAF in sepsis. These discoveries offer potential novel targets and insights for the prevention and treatment of NOAF in sepsis.
PubMed: 38941671
DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112550 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Jun 2024Soil Cd pollution is a significant environmental issue faced by contemporary society. Kentucky bluegrass is considered a potential phytoremediation species, as some...
Soil Cd pollution is a significant environmental issue faced by contemporary society. Kentucky bluegrass is considered a potential phytoremediation species, as some varieties have excellent cadmium (Cd) tolerance. However, the mechanisms of Cd accumulation and transportation in Kentucky bluegrass are still not fully understood. The Cd-tolerant Kentucky bluegrass cultivar 'Midnight' (M) exhibits lower Cd translocation efficiency and a higher leaf Cd concentration compared to the Cd-sensitive cultivar 'Rugby II' (R). We hypothesized that Cd translocation from roots to shoots in cultivar M is hindered by the endodermal barriers and cell wall polysaccharides; hence, we conducted Cd distribution, cytological observation, cell wall component, and transcriptomic analyses under Cd stress conditions using the M and R cultivars. Cd stress resulted in the thickening of the endodermis and increased synthesis of cell wall polysaccharides in both the M and R cultivars. Endodermis development restricted the radical transport of Cd from the root cortex to the stele, while the accumulation of cell wall polysaccharides promoted the binding of Cd to the cell wall. These changes further inhibited the long-distance translocation of Cd from the roots to the aerial parts. Furthermore, the M cultivar exhibited limited long-distance Cd translocation efficiency compared to the R cultivar, which was attributed to the enhanced development of endodermal barriers and increased Cd binding by cell wall polysaccharides. This study provides valuable insights for screening high Cd transport efficiency in Kentucky bluegrass based on anatomical structure and genetic modification.
PubMed: 38941659
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116633 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Jun 2024The contamination of arsenic (As) in aqueous environments has drawn widespread attention, and iron compounds may largely alter the migration ability of As. However, the...
The contamination of arsenic (As) in aqueous environments has drawn widespread attention, and iron compounds may largely alter the migration ability of As. However, the stability of As(III) in Fe-As system with the intervention of organic matter (OM) remains unclear. Herein, we had explored the co-precipitation and co-oxidation processes of As-Fe system by using batch experiments combined with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) in this research. The precipitation quantity of As(III) increased (28.85-92.41 %) when the As/Fe ratio decreased, and increased (24.20-64.20 %) with pH increased. The main active substance for oxidizing As(III) was HO, which was produced in the As-Fe system. FTIR and XPS revealed that As(III) was first oxidized in neutral, and then absorbed and enteredthe interior of Fe(OH) colloids. But under alkaline conditions, As(III) was adsorbed by Fe (Oxyhydr) oxides firstly, and then oxidized. The intervention of OM would inhibit the redistribution process of As(III) in aqueous environments. Functional groups and unsaturation of the carbon chain were the dominant factors that affected the precipitation and oxidation processes of As(III), respectively. Co-existing ions (especially PO) also signally affected the precipitation quantity of As(Ⅲ) in the system and, when coexisting with OM, could exacerbate this process. The influence of co-existing ions on the redistributive process of As(III) in the As-Fe system with/without OM were as follows: PO > SO > mixed ions > SiO. Moreover, high concentration of OM and PO might lead to morphological alterations of As, acting as a threat to aqueous environments. In summary, the present findings were to further understand and appreciate the changes of As toxicity in the aqueous environments. Particularly, the coexistence of OM and As can potentially increase the risk to drinking water safety.
PubMed: 38941658
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116631